Hair Restoration – Neograft

When hair loss is irreversible and new hair growth is impossible due to permanent damage to the scalp or follicles, hair transplantation procedures are the answer. Before you decide on a solution, however, you should be familiar with the different medical solutions that are available to treat thinning hair.

• Scalp Reduction Surgery – Performed on the crown and the top of the head where hair is thin, this surgery removes the hairless area. The remaining hair-bearing scalp is stretched over to cover and replace the removed patch.This approach is one of the earliest methods of hair transplant. It is seldom used today because of the development of more advanced, precise, and effective alternatives.
• Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) Surgery – Recommended for its ability to make hair look and grow in a natural way, FUT has been the leading hair transplant procedure for the past few decades. Donor strips are taken from areas of high growth and transplanted.The downside of this approach is that it can leave a linear scar.
• Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) – FUE hair transplants are less invasive than scalp reduction surgery and don’t leave a linear scar the way FUT treatment can. There is less bleeding, no balding strip, and a more natural appearance overall. Additionally, FUE allows hair transplant patients to retain more flexibility over the way they wear their hair.Until quite recently, this procedure was performed manually. Now, at Solano Plastic Surgery, we are pleased to offer our patients the most advanced method of automated hair transplantation using NeoGraft. With NeoGraft, individual hair follicles are extracted from the back or side of the head and grafted to areas lacking in hair. The automation makes the process efficient and extremely precise.

Men can begin to develop signs of male pattern baldness in their twenties, and hair loss can begin at any time in their adult lives. For women, hair loss is usually more of a thinning or diffuse pattern and often appears as they reach the age of 55-60. Hair loss can be a problem for people of any age, however, depending on its cause.

If you are considering a non-surgical hair transplant at our plastic surgery practice, you should

• Be in good health
• Have moderate hair loss
• Have sufficient donor hair on the back of the scalp to transplant

Men and women with greater hair density and fullness in donor areas can typically expect fuller results in hair transplant treatment areas.

The hair transplant experts at Napa Solano Plastic Surgery talk with patients to determine whether their cosmetic goals are reasonable. While a non-surgical hair transplant can produce very good, natural results, it will not make you look like a teenager again.

NeoGraft is the first FDA-cleared follicular unit harvesting and implantation system, and we are delighted to have this unsurpassed technology available at our plastic surgery practice. It delivers automation of the FUE technique, the most advanced technique in the hair transplant industry, giving our medical experts the tools they need to deliver optimal results.

NeoGraft uses pneumatic controls to extract complete individual hair follicles with unparalleled precision. These follicles can then immediately be transplanted to the selected areas of the scalp.

NeoGraft provides absolute exact harvesting and placement, delivering repeatable results. With NeoGraft’s technology each follicle is removed individually while the patient is comfortable. A natural looking head of hair is created with this minimally invasive procedure.

Modeled on recommendations from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons regarding preparations for hair transplant surgery, the team that performs NeoGraft non-surgical hair transplants at our practice give our patients specific instructions about preparing for their procedure.

These include:

• Adjustments in lifestyle – For example, patients should refrain from smoking for eight weeks prior to their procedure.
• Adjustments in medications – Some prescription drugs, over-the-counter vitamins, and nutritional supplements should be discontinued, especially those that may affect blood flow and healing.
• Advance preparation for the day of your procedure. For example, arrangements for someone to escort you home, someone to pick up medication, etc.

You can expect to be treated like the V.I.P. (Very Important Patient) that you are to us. The moment you arrive for your non-surgical hair transplant, we’ll ensure that all your needs are taken care of, medical and emotional, too.

Change, even for the better, can be daunting, but you can relax at Napa Solano Plastic Surgery. Our medical team and support staff are there for you. Our patients are delighted that this is an in-office, outpatient procedure that requires no hospital stay.

On the day of your procedure, you’ll fill out a few final forms, have some pictures taken for before-and-after comparison, and meet with your doctor and the expert NeoGraft technician who will perform the transplant. At this time, you will review the procedure details including

• Number of hair follicles to be extracted
• Number of hair shafts contained in the follicles
• Thickness of the shafts
• Site of transplantation
• Density of transplantation
• Orientation of the hair shafts

You will also have a chance to ask any last minute questions.

When it’s time for your procedure to begin, you will be offered sedation to help you relax. Many patients are content to remain fully alert during their hair restoration treatment. A local anesthetic is administered to ensure your comfort, and then the four-step process begins:

• Donor Hair Removal – Each follicle is meticulously harvested as it naturally grows and will be implanted individually to ensure best results. NeoGraft works as an extension of the technician’s hand and allows donor hair to be removed faster and with more consistency and precision than would be possible with the human hand alone.Donor hair is generally taken from the back of the scalp. Those hairs are immune to the effects of DHT, the hormone responsible for male pattern baldness.
• Dissection of the Follicular Units – NeoGraft’s accuracy helps our technicians ensure that each graft is extracted with the same consistency in diameter and length. This level of automated consistency helps us achieve a dramatically increased take rate.
• Creation of the Recipient Sites – This is the most critical step in a hair transplant procedure. It calls for medical skill and aesthetic expertise. The hair restoration technicians at our practice are highly experienced in non-surgical hair restoration with the NeoGraft. They are gifted at creating recipient sites at the proper angle, direction and orientation to yield beautiful, natural-looking results.
• Placement of the Hair Graft – The final step of the procedure is to transplant the grafts into the balding and thinning areas of your scalp.

A typical FUE hair restoration procedure done manually can take up to 8 hours. This is challenging for both the patient and the medical team. NeoGraft’s automated precision can reduce this time by half, with some procedures taking as little as two hours.

You will be able to return home after your hair transplant procedure. Since it is a non-surgical hair restoration treatment, you will not be troubled by many of the after-effects that come with a surgical procedure and general anesthesia.

You will be given a list of post-procedure instructions that will promote healing and contribute to the best possible outcome of your hair restoration. When patients follow instructions, the most common complaints following NeoGraft hair restoration are

• Post-operative swelling
• Post-operative bruising
• Scaly, itchy scalp

These reactions are typical and generally disappear within 7 days. Most patients return to their normal activities immediately.

Things may get worse before they get better, which is normal. In the first months following hair restoration with NeoGraft, some or all of the transplanted hairs fall out, this is also normal – the transplanted hair follicles are still alive and healthy and will start to grown again soon.

Newly transplanted hair will begin to grow in 2-3 months. In six months, it will be long enough to be groomed and in a year, it will be fully grown.

Follicular Unit Extraction performed with the NeoGraft system is the most advanced technique for transplanting hair, in both results and safety.

Complications are highly unlikely, but should be noted:

• Permanent numbness
• Hypertrophic scarring (both donor and recipient area)
• Keloid scarring (both donor and recipient area)